Trying to decide between Universities - Round 3

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Javad, Nov 20, 2002.

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  1. Javad

    Javad New Member

    RE: Threads 6334 & 6646

    Today I have sent a note to U of Bradford research coordinator that I will be accepting their offer to become a MPhil-PhD student in their Computing department. I have been in touch with my advisor and supervisor and both seem eager for me to start. A good sign already...

    The tuition fees are around 9K Cdn. per year, and 6K will be paid via my work which was excellent news to hear. And, I am hoping to get started as early as Jan 2003.

    Please accept my sincere thanks to all of you for assisting me along the way.

    RF Valve, John Roberts, I'd love to buy you a cold one...

    Regards,
    J.
     
  2. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member


    Excellent choice, don't forget that tuition fees are tax deductable in Canada so you will get back half of the 3K that you spend so at the end it will come to 1.5K a year. Not bad for a UK PhD degree. Hope UNISA gives you the money back.

    Congratulations!
     
  3. John Roberts

    John Roberts New Member

    Javad, well done and good luck with your studies, please keep us all informed of your progress.

    Seems like you finally found an acceptable school, tuition fees to boot, a Tax deduction and probably an acceptable school that those 'Muticous Twigs' at the U oT will accept.

    Now for that Boehmite Brew, well research tells me that you probably cant get Bradford's own brew..the 'Salamander', or the South African import brew the 'Castle Larger' here in Toronto..eh?

    Cheers.

    John.
     
  4. Javad

    Javad New Member

    I have totally forgotten about the tax return... Fantastic news.
    And I will certainly keep you all updated with my progress.

    Thx.
    J.
     
  5. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    To get the tax credit, you have to ask your university to sign an international fee form from revenue Canada. The form says that you must be registered full time, otherwise you won't get the credit. So make sure that your university considers you a full time student, otherwise, you won't get the credit.
     
  6. Javad

    Javad New Member

    Once more excellent advise. Thank you. This forum rocks.
     
  7. Javad

    Javad New Member

    Hello everyone,

    Just wanted to let you know that apparently UNISA has fully refunded me although I have not seen the money yet, just the email.

    And FYI, my advisor at Bradford has me researching various areas already. He is _really_ good. I am impressed. Funny thing is I have not even registered yet ... :)

    J.
     
  8. John Roberts

    John Roberts New Member

    As a non registered student, this is strange, however please tell us more about the process that your going through and what it is exactly that the research advisor has you doing.

    Is this a topic that they have asked you for or said that you should do, since it is possible that they want it within their research interests, or is it a list of possible reseach area's or simply them requesting the old fashioned reading list?

    Since you already have research done and a Masters to boot, do you think the first leg (MPhil) would be relatively easy for you?

    Good on Yah, for getting the refund will be given too you from UNISA.

    Did this happen as a result of the Bit...g, or did you go through the credit card company...would be a good thing to know just in case others have a similar problem in the future?

    J.R(ic)
     
  9. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Good to hear!

    Although I'm not familiar with Bradford, I did a search that reveals a good level of acceptability of Bradford PhDs in Canadian Universities, here is the evidence:


    http://www.acadiau.ca/registrar/calendar/staff/fps.htm

    http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infoucal/9596/FACULTY/fac-optometry.html

    http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infoucal/9798/FACULTY/fac-optometry.html

    http://www.ssb.yorku.ca/ssb-extra/mba.nsf/c111d42a11b9e04685256ab70050d90c/52b9acf6be4f551785256b1a006ddebd?OpenDocument

    http://www.wlu.ca/~wwwgrads/gradcalendar/mba.htm

    http://www.registrar.dal.ca/calendar/ugrad/comm/


    Good luck!
     
  10. Bradford was one of the wave of UK universities established in the mid-sixties. It has a reasonable (middle-of-the-pack) reputation as a research university. Certainly a much better reputation than some of the other possibilities mentioned here (e.g. Liverpool John Moores, Unisa).
     
  11. Javad

    Javad New Member

    John, I sent multiple emails to UNISA and one of the admin folks was quite helpful and he escalated the matter to the finance dept. After sending multiple emails to the finance dept., I was finally told I had received a full credit. (I should really verify it with credit-card company)

    As for Bradford, I gave the department my written acceptance a week ago. I am now waiting for the University to send me their official acceptance letter and registration details in "due course" as they put it. However, since I was given my advisor and supervisor's names, I sent them both an email introducing myself. My advisor has been in touch me frequently and it seems he does not want to waste time and wishes me to start the reseach (My intake is supposed to be as of Jan).

    My research topic is xx using yy (in simple lang.) . My advisor's research interest is in yy. Right now he has me doing a lot of reading on yy. Overall he wants me to publish around 3 papers. He also says he does not expect me to publish any papers during the MPhil year. For the first year he simply wants me to learn as much about xx and yy as possible. After a year, if my progress is satisfactory, I would be transferred to the PhD program and ofcourse my start date would be backdated to when I first joined Bradford.

    I am told this is the norm in both UK and Australia. I guess they really want to know one has what it takes to continue with the research or not. I am not worried at all. I went through hell to get my Masters (multiple courses, project/thesis and a seminar). But, since I now have a full-time job and a family, time my become only issue.

    One thing that I find a bit funny (may be disturbing to some) is that most probably my previous achievements (publications, degrees, PEng, work experiece...) all played an important role in getting accepted into a good PhD program. But, when you join, the past really does not matter any more. It's right back to square one. What difference does it make if I have a Masters or not. What difference does it make if I have a Bachelors or not. Or am I wrong. Maybe the foundation I built during my BSc/MSc is preparing me for the next 3/4 year... Not sure. But hey, it's Saturday morning and I haven't slept all that much...

    Regards,
    J.
     
  12. Javad

    Javad New Member

    Oh, this is fantastic. Thanks.
     
  13. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member


    If your canadian Master's is thesis oriented then you would normally be offered admission to the PhD directly. But if you have a course based master's with project then M.Phil is normally required. Also, you might be asked to join the M.Phil first if you have an old master's (more than five years old). Some programs as the DBA or D.Tech are professional oriented and don't need a research master's and instead professional experience is required. However, the PhD is normally preferred in Academia, with the exception of the DBA that is normally accepted in the north american universities.

    I feel that you won't regret your decision, an UNISA degree would have been more expensive in the long term due to his possible low acceptance and time waisted due to burocracy.
     
  14. Javad

    Javad New Member

    My masters was mainly course based with a project. And it is 12 yrs old. FYI.
     
  15. uncle janko

    uncle janko member

    Best of luck, Javad. Bradford should sell well in Canada, too.
     
  16. Javad

    Javad New Member


    Hello everyone again,

    As per Revenue Canada: "You are not considered to be in full-time attendance at a university outside Canada if you are taking courses through a distance learning program."

    But they also say:

    "What is a qualifying educational program?
    This is a program that lasts at least 3 consecutive weeks and requires a minimum of 10 hours of instruction or work in the program each week (not including study time). Instruction or work includes lectures, practical training, and laboratory work. It also includes research time spent on a post-graduate thesis."

    I am not clear what I read between the lines. As far as the University is concenred, I am enrolled as a full-time reserach student. I guess I should call Revenue Canada and find out....

    Regards,
    J.
     
  17. worthingco

    worthingco New Member

    Revenue Canada aka CCRA

    I would strongly advise you to seek advice from a CA or CGA with respect to Revenue Canada. The people who answer the phones are usually wrong! Get some competent tax advice.

    This has been my experience....just my 2 cents.
     
  18. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member




    I just send the forms to my university and they fill up the forms for me. I always claim the tuition fees, in Quebec you are required to send the official tax receipts from the university but not for the federal. So far, I have sent all my tax receipts to the Quebec goverment and always have been accepted.

    As you mentioned, by the book you are considered a research student and not a distance education one. Don't mention that is distance education and only tell them that you are doing a research based degree.
     

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